Ceiling access covers

Why settle for 2nd best?

After 33 years of serving the building services sector we fully appreciate that the “devil is in the detail” in all aspects of a construction project.

Whether it is the groundworks and foundations or the installation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) if every element of the process is not carried out with accuracy and precision the consequences could be disastrous.

On the face of it floor, wall and ceiling access covers seem like an insignificant part of a total structure. In reality we know from experience that the smallest component of a multi-million pound building can cause the biggest headache if it is not 100% fit for purpose. In the construction industry there is no scope for cutting corners.

Accepting second best is simply not an option.

Product development at Howe Green has always been driven by customer requirements. The reason the company was set up in the first place was to satisfy a demand in the supermarket sector for a simple and safe solution to access concealed services in Terrazzo flooring.
Over the years many of the new products that we have been asked to develop have become a part of our standard product portfolio. We now have a wide range of standard access covers to suit a number of common applications. They are all available in standard sizes with standard loading performance - literally straight off the shelf.

These standard products are absolutely perfect for 80% of our customer however the remaining 20% are in need of a bespoke solution to solve their access challenge. For these customers a standard solution would either be accepting second best, or, they may even be running the risk of compromising the integrity of the building.

Rising to the challenge

Our engineers enjoy the challenge of designing a solution to overcome a specific problem that an architect or specifier may have identified when it comes to how to access concealed services. We make a significant investment in research and development to ensure that the most appropriate solution is created. The combination of expertise, the latest CAD software, innovative manufacturing processes and an overriding “can do” attitude results in an access solution that is totally fit for the purpose intended.

"Love dealing with Howe Green - they care about their products, their quality, their service AND their clients. Howe Green never let you down - and neither do their access covers!"DMC Group

Real life examples of bespoke access solutions

Deeper, stronger covers for Stansted Airport

Stansted Airport is the UK’s fourth busiest airport. It dealt with over 24 million passengers for the 12 months from September 2015 to September 2016. Imagine 24 million people plus their suitcases and trolleys? That is a huge amount of traffic for any floor to deal with!

Contractors Carillion and Galliford Try contacted our Technical Team when it came to resolving the issue of how to access underfloor services in the redevelopment of the Departure Hall and the new Satellite One hub.

After considering the loading and footfall requirements single and multi-part 2500 Series and 5000 Series floor access covers with custom depths and an additional baseplate reinforcement were recommended. These enhancements to the standard access products provided the additional strength needed in such a high pedestrian traffic environment

Crossrail is leading the way in delivering infrastructure projects that are changing our travel experiences. The Canary Wharf railway station, designed by Foster + Partners is one such project. The railway station, shopping centre and roof garden are six storeys high.

We were asked to provide an access solution for Adams Place, the elevated walkway that connects Canary Wharf station to Lower Bridge Street. The requirement was for a cover with the load bearing capability to accommodate specialist aerial firefighting appliances.

The 1050 Series Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Access cover was the starting point for this solution. With a 6.5 tonne pneumatic tyre wheel load as standard we enhanced the cover to provide additional load bearing performance. It is reassuring to know that the buildings and public spaces being developed today are designed to cope with every eventuality - safety is the forefront from the outset.

The £135 million World Conservation and Exhibition Centre (WCEC) at the British Museum provided the facility with around 18,000 square metres of additional space. The WCEC is used for large scale special exhibitions, storage and collections and has conservation studios and science laboratories.

London based architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners contacted us to help turn their idea for an innovation circular access cover into reality. The brief was to create an access solution where aesthetics and performance were of equal importance. The access cover needed to be stylish and discreet to fit in with the overall architecture and look and feel of the historic British Museum. The top UK tourist attraction welcomed over 6.8 million visitors in 2015 – with such heavy footfall and playing host to large scale exhibitions load bearing performance was essential.

We designed a circular access cover in 316- grade stainless steel with the capability to withstand a 40kn load. Each cover had a box section with built in cable access and voice/data plug in points. Slotted steel lids were designed for the covers when they were in use.

The result was an access cover that totally fulfilled the architect’s requirement for design and functionality.

Forget the “workarounds”

If you are fed up with having to “work around” standard access covers for non-standard access solutions then it’s time to give us a try! We guarantee to make your life easier with an access cover that meets you exact requirements and specification.